


Your Star Will Shine

by KirkyPet



Series: The Shipping Forecast [6]
Category: Mad Max Series (Movies), Mad Max: Fury Road
Genre: F/M, Fluff and Angst, Fluff and Smut, Grief/Mourning, Guilt, Hurt/Comfort, Loss of Virginity, Mental Breakdown, Monogamy, Sexual Frustration, Vehicular Sex
Language: English
Status: Completed
Published: 2017-03-08
Updated: 2017-03-08
Packaged: 2018-09-30 20:33:45
Rating: Mature
Warnings: No Archive Warnings Apply
Chapters: 1
Words: 2,602
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/10171328
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/KirkyPet/pseuds/KirkyPet
Summary: What's on Furiosa's mind? Max's loss, lifetime relationships as an alien concept, her past sufferings and misdemeanours...the list goes on. And then there are her crippling hang-ups about Citadel intimacy. An overnight bolt for the hills eases the tension.





	

Furiosa was unusually quiet after their return with the kid. She seemed fine, Phyllis thought, not restless or particularly troubled as such. Not like while she was recovering from her injuries. Just _very, very thoughtful_. She spent about as much time with Max as before they went off together. A lot of tension seemed to have dissipated since then. _About bloody time_ , Phyllis smiled to herself. Any longer and she'd have had to bang their silly heads together.

But Max was still sleeping in his car. Furiosa was nominally in her old Imperator quarters but, in reality, she could be found up on the watchtower. _Not quite domestic bliss, then?_ But, to be fair, Max was usually there too. This wasn't one of those occasions, though. Good opportunity to ask, then.

"Why so pensive, lass?"

Furiosa shifted uncomfortably and sighed. If she had to talk about it...and she did have to talk about it, this was becoming clear...it'd be better be to Phyl. She needed someone to tell her she was being stupid.

"Max was paired for life. He had One, and she's dead."

"And a child too?" Phyllis asked.

"How'd you know that?" Furiosa looked up in surprise.

Phyllis just shrugged. "Seen men like him before. Live in small families, you break down when they get killed. Used to think it was because men weren't right, up here." She waggled her fingers at her head. "Not equipped to deal with kids. Get too attached. They'd join the men's clan for a while, but'd usually be long gone by the time the next visit came round. But some would sort themselves out, right enough. Others...not so much. When was this?"

"Long time ago, is all he said."

Phyllis thought over how they'd been since their last return. Presumably finding the kid had led him to talk about his family. It didn't seem like he was any more jittery or cracked than usual. If anything, Max seemed more attentive to Furi's moods, like he was more concerned for her.

Funny how things worked out opposite to what you'd expect. First impressions of the Fool, she thought he'd have to be put down some day, like that poor crazy sod when she was a kid. Fine one minute, like a rabid dog the next. Healers couldn't help him.

The Fool had been twitchy, eyes followed things that nobody else could see. But now...she wasn't much worried.

"So what's the issue? In particular, I mean."

Furiosa played with her bootlace distractedly. "Just...I've never seen that kind of...how does it even  _work?_ " she finished, lamely.

"Choosing your One? Seems to me, a person just needs to ask herself a couple of questions. _One_...is there anyone else she'd rather be with? Could she imagine anyone else coming along?"

Furiosa blinked, paused, shook her head very slightly. _What are the chances of that happening?_

" _Two_...does she trust 'em?"

Furiosa tilted her head a fraction and twitched an eyebrow. Easily translatable as 'well, _yeah_...' in body language.

" _Three_...how would she feel if they went away, _never to return_?" Phyllis raised an eyebrow archly. 

Furiosa shivered a little and glanced at the horizon.

"And then you have to put up with them 'til one of you dies." Phyllis concluded, abruptly. "Well, that's how I see it, anyway. Feeling better informed now? Good."

"Yeah...I mean, you probably can't even _have_ more than one One...What am I saying? That's not the point. Should I be worried about him? What should I do here, Phyl?...People are so difficult..." she groaned. "I want to _help_. Don't want to break him..."

"Do what feels right. Seems to be working out okay so far...?"

"Right, so I'm over-thinking this, then? Good. Thank you." She patted Phyllis awkwardly on the arm and abruptly departed.

"He's in the garage..." Phyllis called after her.

*****

They stayed at the Citadel for over a month, to make sure that Toots was settling in okay. The kid was in his element, and had already organised a Subbuteo tournament. He'd taken to 'helping' Dag up in the roof gardens where she played her records to the crops. They'd often hear him singing along.

*****

Furiosa was having a tougher time of it. She'd found it nearly impossible to shake off her irrational fear of sexual contact within the Citadel's walls.

_On promotion, she'd moved to her own Room. She'd finally convinced herself that no-one was watching her, but she still couldn't bring herself to indulge in what had been so long denied. It was only when Giddy helpfully pointed out the Joe would not call for her, that she felt she could retake control of her body. Her mind was more of a problem. She tried to think of the childish experiments she'd had with Val. That made her smile, but had no other effect. After all, she wasn't a child anymore. She tried to picture a woman with long black hair and olive skin, dark eyes. That was better, but still a hazy featureless image. She didn't know that woman, not really. The real Val would persist in staying a child in her mind's eye._

_Men, then. But, to her, all men were nightmares and brothers both, white-chalked and scar-lipped. She'd lived with them too long, fearing them while becoming one of them. No good either. And she was too afraid that, if she persisted, the image would become that of Joe. No. She'd sooner do without, forever._

_One night, when the sleeplessness couldn't be overcome, she went out onto the terraces and looked to the sky. The stars gazed back at the world in serene pity. So what if she were alone? Severed from any human comfort? She was surely used to that by now. Returning to her bed, she saw he stars in her mind's eye. She could lose herself in them. That was enough._

_But that was before..._

Before they took the War Rig and ran for their freedom. Before her long-cherished hope was shattered. Before she ended Joe at last.

And before her thoughts coalesced into human form, with this new awareness of Max. Finally she had shape and colour and texture and sound for her imagination to revel in. And smell. Mothers, the smell of him would stay with her forever.

Then he came back and, despite her best intentions, she continued to use his image in her mind. And now even that wasn't enough. Now she knew he was hers for the asking. She needed _him_. But while they were in the Citadel, she didn't dare. To lose control, with another person, with _him,_ within these walls? The thought tormented her, both terrifying and enticing. No, she needed the open sky.

Max understood, and Furiosa assumed he was taking care of himself, his Citadel neuroses not taking that particular turn. But it was driving her crazy. She was getting twitchy and irritable. It was time for another road trip.

Max didn't have to be asked twice. He had the car ready on the lift within five minutes flat. The residents of the Citadel literally did not see them for dust.

*

They drove just as far as they needed to be out of scope range. Scrambling into the back of the Interceptor, boots off, shirts off. The weight of him on top of her was glorious, as he kissed her neck and she wrapped her legs round his waist. They were ready, she was definitely ready. But the more she tried to relax, the more her thigh muscles tightened in almost fearful anticipation. It was so frustrating.

So she rolled him onto his back and straddled his hips, easing herself down slowly, slowly, under her own weight. Yes, it hurt...but nowhere near as much as she expected. She relaxed a little, getting used to the sensation. He stroked her hair soothingly. Then she began to move. It took some time to get a rhythm going, but he guided her with his hands on her hips, careful to let her take her own pace.

It was good, but she didn't climax. She was too busy revelling in the novel sensation and watching Max in the sunset light, his eyes closed and breathing deeply, then stiffening with a guttural groan as he came. She leaned forward carefully and kissed him as he regained a normal rhythm of breathing.

" _You didn't_..." he murmured, focusing on her face, his blissful brainfog clearing.

She smiled as she whispered, "First time, remember? I've got a good feeling about this whole thing."

"It's not over yet." he replied. When he went down on her, he delayed and teased and drove her crazy. It was well worth it.

*

They lay side by side under a warm blanket. The evening was getting chilly. Max was idly stroking his fingers over Furiosa's collarbone. When he brushed a raised scar on the curve of her breast, she tensed slightly. It was so new, being laid bare like this. She sat up a little, half wanting to cover up, but disliking to hide anything from him.

"Bit of a mess, this..." she smiled awkwardly, letting the failing light fall on the jagged scar that ran from her shoulder and down her right side.

"There was a War Boy...a sore loser. I made a mistake that time. He did this with my own knife." She gritted her teeth at the memory.

Max tentatively raised his hand towards her, glancing up at her for permission. She nodded and he ran his fingers gently along the raised and puckered tissue.

"What did you do to him?" he asked.

She smiled a little at his assumption, and replied in a faraway voice "Cracked his skull. Didn't quite mean to, don’t think so, anyway. Was him or me" she shrugged. 

He looked up at her, brow creased in concern. "And you stitched yourself?"

She smiled humourlessly. "The Organic wasn't an option."

Max thought of the surprised look in the Organic's eyes as he lay in the sand with his throat cut. Max would have given a year's supply of guzz to have done it himself. But someone had beaten him to it, maybe some War Boy who'd taken advantage of the confusion in the pass. He obviously hadn't been popular among his patients. Max would gladly shake that person's hand, even more so now.

He tried to imagine what it must have been like, how every movement of the stitching arm would have opened the wound afresh. What a messy job it would have been, how painful, how lonely. He thought of scars, how they were a visible reminder of a life story, an account of what had made a person who they were. And so...

"It's beautiful. _You're_ beautiful" as he kissed her from her ribs to her breast.

Furiosa was helpless against such a barefaced manoeuvre and could only gasp appreciatively into his hair. "If you like that...I've got others."

"Mmm?" Max inquired, slightly muffled.

"But you got to...find them yourself."

He did. Every one. He read her biography on her skin, with his hands and lips, putting her at peace with the wounds of her past.

*

"So I've shown you mine. Time you showed me yours."

"Well...knee's pretty fucked up..." Max leaned forward to reveal his leg. The moon was bright by now, she saw the extent of the tattoos on his back for the first time and felt a chill. She tilted her head to read... _'high octane universal donor...keep muzzled..."_  

Then she realised, it didn't matter what had been inflicted on her. She still hadn't put to rest the consequences of _her_ actions on others.

She wasn't worthy to touch him. She shivered and drew away.

"Hey...hey..." He reached for her. "Forgot about that. Is it so bad? Seemed to go on forever, but..." He stopped, seeing the paleness of her face, the quiver in her hands. 

" _You know I was a War Boy_." She looked him in the face, daring him to see her as one of his captors. "I'm no better than any of them."

He looked at her long, thoughtfully. Imagining her, white-painted and hollow-eyed. Finally, he nodded.

"Saw a War Boy once, long time ago. I was passing by,  _over there"..._ waving a hand vaguely to the west. "She saved a family from Buzzards. Shot six of 'em. Good shot. Gave 'em food and water. Kept 'em hid."

Furiosa looked up at him in surprise. "What happened to them? Do you know?"

"Got to a safe place. With good people. Reliable."

She kissed his forehead gratefully, then shook her head and laughed under her breath at the absurdity of the universe.

*

"But _you_...bleeding you out..." she looked sick.

"It wasn't you. You didn't do it"

"I did...I might as well have done."

She remembered those _she'd_ captured. How many of those would have become Blood Bags? Too many.

He shrugged. "Only got away 'cos of you. Still be in the cage, else..." He stopped, sighed. This wasn't helping. "If it's that bad, I'll cover it up..." He reached for his shirt. This had the effect he was hoping for.

She smiled through the tears that were threatening... _but she didn't cry, she didn't, ever..._ and pulled the shirt out of his fingers.

"No chance" she reached for him.

"It's you who'll have to look at it, after all" he murmured into her shoulder.

The thought gave her a glow she'd never experienced before. She was driving over unknown roads now, that was certain. _My One...? No...stop, don't ruin this_...Furiosa turned away from that thought like it was something dangerous.

 _Just do what feels right_...

*

It was good to be alive, she thought. It was good to be out here, under the stars, with Max. She'd been busy familiarising herself with every inch of him, every angry scar, every smooth expanse of skin. He'd been at least at half-mast for the last few hours, but now he was quivering with suppressed need. Furiosa's entire body was thrumming with excitement as she crept up to his ear and whispered  _"Again?"_

Just one word, but the tone spoke volumes. He nodded, hesitating how to proceed. She lay back and gently pulled him down on top of her.

*

He ran his tip around the edges of her opening until she begged _"In...please, in."_ She took a slow breath as he eased inside her. This was better...

He took his time...she was surprised and delighted to feel, this time...every long slow thrust...not like when he used his mouth, that was more like fireworks, made her want to gasp and cry out...this was more like a slow, deep, dark, burning excitement, _like velvet night_...until she spasmed against his shoulder, every muscle in her body contracting at once. Barely seconds later she felt him let go and finish with a satisfied groan. "Told you..." she breathed, contentedly.

*****

Max and Furiosa returned in time for breakfast. Toots ran up and gave them a big hug each. "Thought you'd gone!"

"Don't be daft, kid" Furiosa replied, handing him a biscuit. "Doesn't miss much" Max observed, when he'd run off again.

"Neither do we – where'd you two scoot off to so suddenly?" asked Phyllis.

"Just a bit of cabin fever. All better now" replied Furiosa, trying to suppress a smile.

*

 _Your star will shine again one day, through deep blue velvet skies_  
_Shine for all the world to see, the universe in your eyes_  
The Stone Roses

**Author's Note:**

> Max's 'Saw a War Boy...' story is from "Furiosa Incognita: Part 10 - Rebellion"  
> http://archiveofourown.org/works/9639266


End file.
